US1854563A - Lock mechanism - Google Patents

Description

A ril 19, 1932. H H W 1,854,563

LOCK MECHANI SM Filed June 20 1930 24 2 /7a 7b zlwuemto'v Patented Apr. 19 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE j JOHN H. SHAW, OF NEW HAVEN, CON NEGTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO SARGENT & COMFANY, OF

NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT LOCK MECHANISM Application filed. June 20, 1930. Serial No. 462,625.

' This invention relates to animprovement in locks and more particularly to an improvements in casings or housings for use in connection with pin tumbler locks.

Such locks ordinarily comprise a key barrel and a lock housing or cylinder within which the barrel is receivedand which contains bores for the reception of the pin tumblers or drivers and the springs by which these elements are actuated. It has been the usual practice to form these housings by casting and to thereafter drill the bores for the tumblers, the ends of these bores being closed by plugs or the like after the cylinder has been loaded.

One object of the present-invention is to provide a lockhousing for pin tumbler locks which may be manufactured more economically than similar devices in use a this time.

2 Another object of the invention is the pro vision of a lock housing made up of a series of flat disks or plates which may be manufactured economically, and which may-be assembled with facility so that a complete lock structure may be manufactured more cheaply than is the case with the usual locks of this character. v V

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a lock case of this character constructed of a series of fiat disks or plates which may be readily assembled upon the key barrel, and to provide end sections such that the parts may be assembled between shoulders upon the key barrel and thereby retained against longitudinal movement.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the novel features and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view of a padlock with the cover removed showing my improved lock to be associated herewith; v

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the lock unit;

Fig. 3, is a side elevational view thereof,"

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line H of Flg. 2;

Fig. 5 is an elevational view of the key v I Fig. 6 is an elevational view of one 'of the barrel;

disks or plates which contain the tumbler recesses Fig. spacer plates;

Fig. 8 is an elevational View of one of the end sections or plates, and

Fig. 9 is an elevational view of a modified formof lock. 1

While I have chosen to illustrate my improved lock unit in connection with a padlock, it will be understood that its use is not confined to padlocks, but may be used-in connection with any lock wherein a pin tumbler lock is desired. A padlock which I selected to illustrate a preferred embodiment of my 7 is an elevational view of one of the invention, comprises generally a casing 10, a V

a shackle 11, a swinging bolt 12, a roll back or bolt-actuating member 13 and a lock unit designated generally by the numeral 14. As the specific construction of the padlock is not claimed herein, it will not be necessary to describe in further detail the various features thereof with the exception of the lock unit with which the present application is concerned. This lock unit comprises, in general, a housing 15 designed to contain the usual springs and tumblers and provided with an opening to receive the key barrel 16.

The lock housing 15 is made up of a plurality of flat plates or disks, the thicker disks 17 being designed to house the tumblers and springs and being alternated with the thinner spacing disks or sections 18.

The tumbler plates 17, as shown in Fig. 6, are provided with circular openings 19 within which the key barrel may be received and which are of sufficient size to be slipped over the end of the key barrel opposite the head 20 thereof. Communicating with the central opening 19 is a slot or recess 21 to receive the tumblers or drivers 22 and the usual springs 23, as it will be understood that the members 17 are assembled upon the key barrel with the slot 21 registering with the key slot 16 Referring to Fig. 4:, it will be seen that the plates 17 are of sutficient thickness so that the springs 23 and pins 22 will lie between the planes of the side faces thereof.

The spacer plates or disks 13 are shown in Fig. 7, and each of these plates is provided with an opening 2 1- of the same dimensions as the opening 19 so that they may be slipped over the end of the key barrel. These plates are of sufiicient thickness'to properly space the pin tumblers at the desired center distances and it will be apparent that when these plates, which are provided with solid body portions above the circularopenings 2 1, areplaced against the plates 17, the sides of the recesses 21 will beclosed, so as to confine the springs anddrivers therein.

t will be noted that, as shown in Figs. 3, 4:,and 5, the key barrel is provided with annular grooves 26 and 27 between which lies the housing for the lock mechanism, the two end plates 17 being flush with the'inner ends of these grooves. Two end sections 28 and 29, shown in side view in Fig. 3, are placed at the outer sides of the two end tumbler sections 17; 'As shown in Fig. 8, these sections have a solid body portion and are provided with semi-circular recesses 30, so that they may be placed laterally upon the key barrel, as distinguished from the sections 17 and 18 which must be slipped over the end thereof. The recesses 30 are of slightly smaller diameter than the openings 19 and 24 so that the edges of these recesses may enter; the grooves 26 and 27 and retain the sections 17 and 18 against longitudinal movement. It will, of course, be apparent that, as in the form shown, the head 20 of the key barrel is slightly larger than the body thereof, the end section 28 may be provided with a circular opening of the same size as the opening 19, as it may be slipped over the small end of the key barrel and lodged against the head thereof and retained in place by the section 29. The thickness of the end sections 28 and 29 may, of course, be varied to suit the conditions obtaining in the particular lock with which they are used, but both of these sections will have solid body portions so as to close the sides of the recesses 21 in the adj acent tumbler sections 17.

It will be apparent that the flat sections of which the lock housingis constructed may be readily and economically made by stamping operations and assembled upon the key barrel with facility and it will also be obvious that they may be loaded as they are assembled and the recesses closed by the intermediate plates. The end sections 28 and 29 may be secured together and'to the other sections by pins or rivets passing through the openings 31, or the lock structure within which my unit is used may be suitably constructed to hold the parts assembled without the use of any securing devices.

In Fig. 9 of the drawings I have shown a modified form of my invention wherein the plates provided with the tumbler-receiving slots 21 are made of relatively thin material and, as shown, two of these plates l7 and 17 are placed between the spacer plates 18, the two plates having substantially the same thickness as the single plate 17 shown in Fig. 3. When the plates are made of relatively thin material, as in thisinstance, they may be stamped out more readily, and when two are placed in juxtaposition, the tumbler-receiving slots will be substantially the same thickness asthe tumblers so that the latter may be received in these slots.

WVhile I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that it is not to be limited to all of the details shown, but is capable of modification and variation within the spirit of the invention and within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A look housing comprising a series of plates having solid body portions, and a second series of plates disposed between each two adjacent plates of the first series, the plates of said second series having tumblerreceiving recesses extending from face to face thereof, a key barrel upon which said plates are assembled, said key bairel being provided with an annular slot, and one-of the end plates of said first series being formed to enter said slot to retain the assembled plates against movement longitudinally of the key barrel.

2. A lock unit comprising a key barrel having a series of tumblers therein, a series of plates mounted thereon, each plate having a portion encircling the key barrel, and a slot communicating with the key slot in said barrel, and said plates being assembled on the key barrel with said slots forming a tumblerreceiving recess substantially the width of the tumblers, spacer plates between said firstnamed plates, said spacer plates also encircling the key barrel and having solid body portions abutting said recesses, and end plates abutting the outside faces'of the 'end tumbler plates, one of said end plates being adapted to be slipped on said key barrel laterally of said barrel and means for securing said plate against movement longitudinally of the barrel.

3. A lock unit comprising a key barrel having a series of tumblers therein, a series of plates mounted thereon, each plate having a portion encircling the key barrel, and a slot communicating with the key-slot in said barrel, and "said plates being assembled on the key barrel with said slots forming a tumblerreceiving recess substantially the Width of the tumblers, spacer plates between said firstnamed plates, said spacer plates also encircling the key barrel and having solid body portions abutting said recesses, and end plates abutting the outside faces of the end tumbler 7 plates, one of said end plates being adapted to be slipped on said key barrel laterally of said barrel and means for securing said plate 10 against movement longitudinally of the barrel, and means for securing said plates together.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 17th day 01 June, 1930. JOHN H. SHAW.

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